Wake at 7.30 am this morning with a strange stinging sensation coming from the back of my head. Sleepily scratching away at the offending area I become aware of a slight movement and a buzzing sound. The last wasp of the “Summer” has decided to land on my pillow and sting me on the head. Now how’s that for bad luck? Well, I suppose it could have been worse if it had gone under the covers, but let’s not go there right now! Any ideas I might have about staying in bed to avoid the unluckiest day seem pointless now and I escort the wasp off the premises not wishing to create any bad Karma by killing it horribly, which is my first impulse. I actually wouldn’t have minded so much if it weren’t such an ungodly hour, why couldn’t it have waited till Midday at least, dammit! Today can now only get better.
Head for my kitchen and pass an hour or so reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and have breakfast, best part of the day for me as a rule and I’m at a crucial, part in the story so very hard to put it down. Good recommendation Steve, many thanks. The day is looking much brighter now, even though the book is turning into a Greek tragedy.
Stock up with Limes and Beer for this evening as I have a cunning plan to get everyone into the right frame of mind by breaking open my bottle of Cachaça and mixing very strong Caipirinha’s. My cunning plan works a treat and the Brazilian Cocktail works a treat too. Soon, a small but jolly crowd head out into the October night bound for the first Pub of the Pub Crawl where more booze of all types is consumed. Decide to crack my imaginary whip and we drink up and move on to the next pub as I don’t want a repeat performance of the last “Pub Crawl”, when we all got very cosy in a particularly nice pub with a roaring fire and stayed all night!
Most of the London Massive are in attendance but after a while we realise someone is missing, young Abbis hasn’t turned up as promised and we think about calling him to see where he’s got to. However, as the underage drinking laws are being strictly enforced we agree to leave him because if he did turn up we would only have to let him sit outside in a car all night with a bag of crisps and some pop. We later discover that he has a new toy moped and has been tearing about on it all day and getting his knees dirty, bless him.
More pubs and more alcohol, finally ending up in a great Irish boozer that I haven’t been in before. We move on to stronger light brown non fizzy booze from Scotland and Kentucky as closing time comes and goes without the annoying clanging of bells and shouts of “Drink up please”, and realise our prayers have been answered, yes ladies and gentlemen, a glorious lock in. This new found and friendly establishment quickly gets noted in my little book of favourite places, and when we eventually leave we vow to return again soon.
We bid adieu to HHJJ as he must catch the last train to his country estate, and adjourn to my place for a nightcap. Dan surveys my reasonably impressive selection of Whisky but opts for Hot Sake which I have to agree is an inspired choice. Hot Sake being one of my preferred drinks, combining all the benefits associated with having a good hot strong cup of tea for instance, with the added bonus of it consisting entirely of very good hot strong alcohol!
Saturday morning and I awake not to the pain of wasp stings but to find, miraculously, that I have no hangover whatsoever! Feeling very chuffed with myself I decide to have a lie in anyway, and why not. |
